Is Gold Magnetic?

Most people don�t have a lot of gold lying around the house to test and see if it is magnetic. And anything less than 24 caret gold contains other metals to make it harder and less resistant to being scratched.

By itself gold is not attracted to the magnetic fields we come across in our everyday lives. If you have a massive magnetic field then gold will be ever so slightly magnetic. It's safe to say that for practical purposes gold is not magnetic.

What does it tell you if those "pure gold" earrings are attracted to a magnet? First off, if your "pure gold" is magnetic, then there is iron inside (or maybe nickel). In fact, this is one way to tell if jewelry is actually gold. If it's not attracted to a magnet then there is no iron - but it still might not be gold. Scammers have been known to coat lead, copper, and aluminum. All aren't attracted to magnets.

Most gold used in jewelry is actually a mix of silver and gold. Like gold, silver isn't attracted to a magnet. There may even be other metals like copper, platinum, or nickel mixed with the gold to give it different colors. They also make it harder so it doesn't bend or scratch. So even if you gold isn�t magnetic that doesn�t mean it�s pure.

Testing 24K Gold Leaf with a Magnet

If your gold is magnetic you can be reasonable sure it's fake. Professionals use a combination of magnets, electronic testing, density, and chemical tests (acid) to tell if jewelry or a coin is gold.